How to Tell the Age of a Rabbit

It is an unfortunate truth that there is no easy way to tell the age of a rabbit. It is certainly not possible to date a rabbit's age down to a particular date or number of years. However, by looking at some specific clues, you should be able to determine if the rabbit is young (birth to adolescence), adult, or elderly. In fact, with a little further investigation, you can likely figure out if a rabbit is very young, a youth, or a young adult, but that is about as far as you can do.

Steps

Part One of Three:Figuring Out the General Age of a Rabbit

1

Use general age categories to categorize the rabbit. This will give you a good way of starting your assessment. A young rabbit is up to 9 months of age.[1] An adult rabbit is approximately 9 months to 4 - 5 years of age. An elderly rabbit is 4 - 5 years upwards.

Some rabbits live to be 10 - 12 years of age.

2

Don't assume the age will be easily identified. The reason rabbit's are so hard to age is that they don't have any distinguishing marks or features that change as the rabbit ages. Unlike many other animals, rabbits in young adulthood and old age can look very, very similar.

This is in contrast to horses, which can be aged fairly accurately by examining their teeth because they have a unique set of marks which grown out with the teeth as the animal ages. Even if there were helpful marks on rabbit teeth, those affecting the molars would be hard to see as they are right at the back of the mouth and it requires special instruments to see them.

3

Assess the rabbit's overall appearance and behavior. You want to make a list of your rabbit's attributes in order to gauge what age it might be. Things to look for include:

Activity Levels: Does the rabbit regularly exhibit playful behavior or does it mainly sleep and eat? Does the rabbit move in fluid, graceful movements or does it seem stiff and sore?

Overall Appearance: Is the rabbit's coat soft and luxurious or harsh and course?

Physical Wear and Tear: Does the rabbit have sores on the of the hocks?

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Part Two of Three:Assessing Whether You Have a Baby or an Adolescent Rabbit

1

Figure out if the rabbit is still a baby. Is the rabbit still growing and still spending a lot of time with its mother? Baby rabbits are born blind, and deaf. They are very small and nursed by their mother once or twice every 24 hours, usually at night.[2]

By 6 - 8 days the eyes and ears open and they have thin fluff. By 2 weeks of age they will have a full coat of fur.

By two weeks of age rabbits start showing an interest in nibbling grass and herbage. By 3 weeks of age they are regularly leaving the nest and readily reacting to sounds.

Young rabbits begin weaning from the mother at about 4 - 5 weeks of age, by which time they look like miniature adults. Weaning is usually complete (the youngster no longer feeds from the mother) by 8 weeks of age.

2

Determine if your rabbit is full grown. To figure this out you need to know how big your breed of rabbit should be when full grown. If you are uncertain if you have a small breed of rabbit that is an adult, or a young rabbit that is still growing, then take weekly photographs of the rabbit and compare the pictures.

If necessary include the same object each week as a reference, or a rule.

Depending on the breed, rabbits continue to grow until they are 6 - 9 months old (the top of the range for larger breeds).

3

Assess the rabbit's reproductive behavior. Adolescence in the rabbit occurs when the rabbit start to produce reproductive hormones. This most commonly happens from 4 months of age onward, with 4 - 6 months being a typical age at which rabbits become interested in the opposite sex.[3]

Adolescent rabbits tend to be very nosy and inquisitive, and love to check out their environment. If they encounter another rabbit of the same sex, their rising hormones may cause them to squabble and fight. A young rabbit is likely to be reactive, and indulge in a lot of back paw thumping at perceived dangers.[4] However, if they meet the opposite sex they may try to mate.

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Part Three of Three:Distinguishing Between an Adult and an Elderly Rabbit

1

Look for behavior that indicates you have an adult or elderly rabbit. Adult rabbits can also show hostile mating behavior, but they are often less inquisitive of their environment. Adult rabbits tend to be active when awake and feeding, and divide their time between these activities and sleeping. When they are awake they give the impression of being alert and interactive.

Older rabbits tend to sleep more and eat less, and may be prone to losing weight and become skinny. When they are awake they may react less to things going on around them, and seem less interested in their environment.[5]

2

Assess the rabbit's overall appearance. A young rabbit is still growing, so you should be able to spot a change in size. An adult rabbit is at the peek of their physical powers and is likely to have a glossy, shiny coat, have bright eyes, be a good weight (possibly even plump) and move in an easy fluent manner.

In contrast an older rabbit may have a dull coat, because they don't groom themselves as much. They may have impaired vision or hearing, and not interact with their environment as much as an adult rabbit. When they move they are liable to look stiff, and move awkwardly, perhaps shuffling along rather than hopping.

3

Look for sore hocks.[6] There is no scientific link between sore hocks and age, but some rabbit keepers have noticed that older animals are more likely to have sore hocks. This condition is caused by the animal's body weight pressing down on the thin skin of their hocks, causing the fur to rub away and thick skin to develop.

There are many variable factors in the development of sore hocks, which include the animal's weight (the heavier the rabbit, the more likely sores are to form), the depth of their bedding (lack of bedding is a risk factor), and how clean or dirty the bedding is (Urine soaked bedding scalds the fur and causes it to fall out).

It is unlikely a young rabbit has all of these factors in place, so sore hocks are rare in a young rabbit. However, the older the rabbit gets the more it is likely these factors occur, resulting in hock calluses.

4

Look at the rabbit's teeth. Rabbits can suffer from overgrown teeth at any age, as this can be caused by their diet and the teeth not getting worn down, rather than age. However, older rabbits tend to eat less and so their teeth are more likely to get overgrow.

The symptoms of overgrown teeth can include the rabbit grinding its teeth or having a wet chin where it drooled.

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Community Q&A

Leave them be. Their mother will be back to nurse them in the evening. Usually the bunny's mother lets the bunnies roam and nurse them in the morning and night.

My rabbit tends to scratch the bottom and side of the cage. Why is that?

Answered by
wikiHow Contributor

Rabbits are natural burrowers. She is probably trying to dig a burrow in the bottom of her cage. This is completely natural behavior, but if she starts hurting herself trying to do it, you should consult a vet for advice on how to deal with it.

How do I keep my rabbit from chewing cords?

Answered by
wikiHow Contributor

You can't. It is instinctive behavior. Protect the cords, especially if electrical, with plastic ducting, or prevent the rabbit from having access to the cords by careful arrangement of furniture or equipment.

How do I know when my bunny is going to die?

Answered by
wikiHow Contributor

You can never know for sure. If your rabbit is unwell and exhibiting signs like rapid/slow breathing or weight loss, take it to a vet. Old age and disease are all main factors of death.

When does mating season end?

Answered by
wikiHow Contributor

Rabbit mating season doesn't end, but they are more receptive from mid-February to late summer.

What can I do if the rabbit's teeth seem overgrown?

Answered by
wikiHow Contributor

Take your rabbit to the vet for a tooth filing. If your rabbit isn't eating, take it to the vet immediately.

It's not uncommon for rabbits' fur to change color or grow lighter with age, just like humans. Rabbits' fur can also change color with the seasons. However, most black rabbits have white or grey fur under their black fur. That's just the way they are, it's the same reason why your hair is the color it is.

How can I train my rabbit to roam the house?

Answered by
wikiHow Contributor

Start with a small area, and teach them that when you say something like "go home" that they need to go into their cage, and then you can expand their area as they learn.

When will my Holland lop eared bunny's ears go down?

Answered by
wikiHow Contributor

They should have been down when the bunny was born. If its ears are up, they will most likely stay up; if they are down, they'll stay down. Don't try to tamper with their natural ear stance.

How old will my rabbit be? We have had him for 11 years.

Answered by
wikiHow Contributor

He will probably be 11 if you have had him for 11 years, especially if you got him as a bunny.